Chapter 99: Date Me

In Greek, the word "Nostalgia" literally translates to "the pain from an old wound." This definition captures the essence of nostalgia perfectly. Though the word might seem delicate, its meaning carries a potency that is difficult to put into words. Nostalgia has the power to act as a pinch of salt on wounds—wounds that a person might have been trying to escape. The game that Jackson had played managed to scratch the surface of memories Darren had long avoided. Not because they were painful, but because that past was so beautiful that it frightened him. It was terrifying to acknowledge that such a beautiful time was now just a part of the past—a memory that could never be relived. But nostalgia, though painful, is also a seducer. It lures us in, offering no escape, making us so engrossed in its bittersweet pain that it becomes a drug—one we can no longer live without. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Darren could never bring himself to forget anything about Christina. That memory